1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to fishing lures and more particularly, to fishing lures of the flexible plastic design which are normally injection molded and are designed to simulate plastic worms, lizards, and other swimming creatures which attract black bass and other game fish.
In recent years the sport of fishing has evolved into a much pursued big business, with millions of dollars spent annually on boats, fishing tackle and lures. With the increased interest and emphasis on taking such popular game fish as black bass, has come an explosion in the development and marketing of improved fishing tackle and new baits and lures in particular. Perhaps the most effective of all lures, particularly in taking the highly respected black bass, is the popular plastic worm-type lure.
The advent of plastic compositions which closely simulate life-like creatures such as worms, lizards, and the like, along with the development of modern injection molding techniques for creating such life-like replicas has resulted in remarkable innovation in the fishing industry. The creation of such new lures and auxiliary tackle for using them, which includes sensitive rods and high strength monofilament line of small diameter has resulted in a multi-million dollar plastic lure industry in the area of sport fishing. It has been found that lures of this design are highly effective in taking game fish such as black bass, small-mouth bass, trout, pike and muskie, as well as a wide variety of salt water fish, with both light and relatively heavy tackle. Furthermore, the plastic lures can be cheaply manufactured in volume quantities and are therefore relatively inexpensive to purchase and they are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors for use under a wide variety of fishing conditions.
Plastic fishing lures are typically used in cooperation with a lead sinker, or helmet which is placed on the fishing line immediately above the hook with the hook projected through the fishing lure in one of a variety of configurations. The lead sinker or helmet allows the worm and the hook to sink to the bottom of the lake or reservoir and the worm is retrieved using a variety of rod actions, depending upon the type of fish sought, the water depth and weather conditions. Alternatively, these lures can be used as "trailers" attached to other baits such as the popular "spinner baits" to attract fish.
Many of these plastic lures are characterized by long, thin ribbon tails which are curved or shaped to present a wiggling or undulating simulated swimming action in the water when retrieved in order to further attract fish to the lure. A wide variety of tail shapes, sizes, and thicknesses are currently used in many of the plastic fishing lures which are on the market today.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical of the plastic fishing lures used with good success in taking black bass, small-mouth bass and other game fish is the "curly tail" lure which is characterized by a beaded or smooth body portion having one or more tail segments extending therefrom and curled either inwardly or outwardly to a thin ribbon-like point. When the lure is retrieved, the tail unfurls behind the lure and undulates or folds and unfolds as it "swims" through the water to attract fish. Since the lure is shaped from a plastic material it can be easily injection molded in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and desirable odors can even be synthesized and provided in the lure bodies.
A typical injection molded ribbon tail lure is that disclosed in the "Bass Pro Shops" catalog, page 54, known as the "Sidewinder", a trademark of Bass Pro Shops. This lure is known as "Triple Ripple Pro-Tein Worm", another trademark of Bass Pro Shops and is characterized by a ribbon-like tail with a shaped head, the tail being split into three distinct segments near the end. The split tail is said to give the lure an improved visibility and attractiveness during retrieve.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved soft plastic lure which is characterized by head portion and at least one tail portion extending from the head portion, which tail portion is curved and divided into two distinct segments, one of which segments is longer than the other in order to impart separate, undulating or "wiggling" actions as the lure is retrieved.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved plastic lure which is characterized by a ribbed or beaded body portion with at least one tail portion extending therefrom, which tail portion is curved and is split along its length to a point near the body portion, wherein the two distinct tail elements or segments in each tail portion are dissimilar in length and therefore, "swim", wiggle and undulate at different frequencies in and out of a common plane to create a new and unique swimming action.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved plastic worm-type lure having a pair of ribbon tails which are oriented in curved, facing relationship from a central body portion, each of which ribbon tails are split along the entire length thereof to define separate tail segments of dissimilar length which facilitates folding and unfolding, fluttering and undulation of the respective tail segments at different rates of speed in and out of the same plane in a simulated swimming action during retrieval to attract fish.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a "curly tail" plastic lure of improved design, which lure includes a pair of curved tail portions extending from a tail base which terminates a central body portion, each of the tail portions characterized by two tail segments separated by a slot, one of which tail segments is longer than the other in order to facilitate repetitive undulation of the pairs of tail segments at different frequencies or folding and unfolding repetition in and out of a common plane.